Program Summaries

Ray Taliaferro has literally owned the Bay Area's overnight radio listening audience since 1986 when his KGO NEWSTALK AM 810 talk show moved to the 1 to 5 a.m. time slot. Five days a week, four early-morning hours each day, Ray shares his passion and opinions with thousands of people; he gets them talking like few others can.

Ray, who joined KGO Radio in 1977, has been in broadcasting for nearly 30 years. He started in talk radio in 1967 at San Francisco's KNEW. Shortly thereafter, he also got into television, commuting every day to Burbank to host a show on KHJ-TV before accepting a news anchor position at San Francisco's KRON-TV. When Ray joined KGO Radio, he also co-hosted KGO-TV's AM Weekend program.

Ray was the first black talk show host on a major market radio station in the country. He helped found the National Association of Black Journalists in 1975, and was honored by the San Francisco Black Chamber of Commerce in 1994 with the Black Chamber Life Award, recognizing him as a "forerunner in broadcasting."

Broadcasting is just one part of Ray Taliaferro's life. Another important part is his active involvement in the arts and in the betterment of his community. A native San Franciscan, Ray has dedicated considerable time and energy to public service.

Among his many achievements, Ray served as president of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP and the Frederick Douglas Symposium. Because of his tremendous efforts to help raise money for leukemia research, he was named board president of the Northern California Chapter of the Leukemia Society of America for 1995-2000. He was the Mayor's Commissioner of the War Memorial Trustee Board from 1992-2000, and he headed up the San Francisco Art Commission for 16 years. An accomplished musician himself, Ray conducted the "Ray Tal Chorale" and served as director of music for the Third Baptist Church.

Ray Taliaferro offers his listeners and the people he serves in the community the benefit of experience and perspective gained from his many interests.